566 Private Alfred Croft DCM
6th Battalion, AIF
By Robert Simpson
Alfred Croft was born in February 1892 in Rochester Victoria. He was a son to James Henry Croft and Annie Whitlock, who were married on 27th September 1882 in Bendigo. He was one of thirteen children they had from 1883 to the early 1900’s. James had been born in Hawthorn in 1857 and Annie in Axedale, Victoria on 11th July 1862. The family originated in England, with both James’ parents coming from there and marrying in Victoria in 1853. They lived in various suburbs of Melbourne and James occupation was a labourer. Alfred was the eighth child and one of eight sons.
Alfred enlisted as Private 556 in the 6th Battalion on 17th August 1914 in Melbourne. The Battalion was one of the first raised for the AIF, recruited from Victoria and formed part of the 2nd Brigade. He was 22 years and 6 months, born in Rochester and worked as a tile labourer. For his previous service question, he answered yes, “6th A.I.R. 6 months change of address”. He was 5 foot 7½ inches tall, weighed 144 pounds, had a chest measurement of 34 to 36 inches, and had a fair complexion, with light blue eyes and fair hair. There was a scar on the inner calf of his leg. As part of E Company 6th Battalion, he departed from Melbourne on HMAT Hororata A20 on 19th October 1914. (His service record has that he departed on 21st October on the ledger card, and on the 18th in his particulars form which was sent to the Repatriation Department.) After a short stopover at Albany, they arrived in Egypt on 2nd December 1915.
On the nominal roll, he was listed as a tile labourer, aged 22, of “Evelyn” Smith St., Thornbury, Victoria. His next of kin was James Henry Croft of the same address. His religion was listed as Church of England. He was already serving in the AMF in the 63rd Infantry. Albert was entitled to 5 shillings a day up to 20th October 1914, then the same amount and 1 shilling deferred thereafter. He only took 8 pence a day and left the rest to be kept in Australia. His terms of service was for the war and 4 months after and his qualification was machine gun reserve.
On 2nd April 1915, he was admitted to No. 2 General Hospital with rheumatism, which was cured and he was discharged on 3rd April 1915. He was seen by Major Campbell in Ward 1. Notes say that he had a pain in the left shoulder before entering Broadmeadows. He had been examined in an Egyptian hospital for 2 to 3 days due to pains in joints. The “present attack came on yesterday on march. Pain in both knee joints, hips & L shoulder.” He had no fever or pain or swelling in the joints. As part of his treatment he was given laxatives, a milk diet and Quinine. The last line stated “3.4.15 Discharged to lines. Seems well.” He embarked to join the MEF at Alexandria on 5th April 1915 for Gallipoli. The Battalion was part of the second wave that landed at Gallipoli on 25th April 1915. Ten days later the 2nd Brigade was transferred to Helles to help with the attack on Krithia, an attack that cost the Brigade a third of its strength. They then returned to ANZAC.
On 14th July 1915 he was recommended for a gallantry award at German Officers Trench on Anzac for “Conspicuous courage and coolness in assisting to work gun when under heavy shell fire and thus rendering valuable assistance in the attack on the trench. The gun was hit and damaged by enemies fire.” He was with M.G. Section of the 6th Battalion at the time.
The Battalion was involved with defence and in August was involved with the battle at Lone Pine. He left Gallipoli on 11th December 1915 and was with his Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir on 11th January 1916. On 25th March 1916 he proceeded to join the BEF on the Briton and disembarked at Marseilles on the 30th.
On 25th April 1916 he was detached from 6th Battalion AIF for duty with the 1st Australian Salvage Company. He was admitted to No. 25 General Hospital at Etaples on 28th June 1916 with debility. On 2nd July he embarked on HS St George at Boulogne for England with cardiac dilatation and was admitted to 15th General Hospital at Portsmouth with DAH (slight) on the 3rd.
The London Gazette of 20th June 1916 published the citation for the acts of gallantry for which the award of the Distinguished Conduct Medals were awarded and included “556 Pte. A. Croft, 6/Btn., Australian Imp. Force. For conspicuous gallantry when assisting to work his gun under heavy shell fire, thus rendering valuable assistance during an attack. The gun was hit and damaged by the enemy’s fire.” The award was published in the London Gazette of 3rd June 1916, page 5585, position 5. An entry in the Maryborough Chronicle of 22nd June 1916 under Australian D.C.M men reads “Private A. Croft, worked a gun under heavy shell fire. He gave Valuable assistance. During and attack a shell hit and damaged his gun.” The Preston Leader of Saturday 29th July 1916, under the heading of Gallant Australians, had the following article: – “Thornbury Boy Receives D.C. Medal. Private Alfred Croft, fourth son of Mr. James Croft, Smith street, Thornbury, has been awarded the distinguished conduct medal. He was mentioned in the King’s Birthday honors. He has two brothers at the front – Qr. M. Sergeant John Croft and Farrier Sergeant W. Croft of Brisbane. Alfred and John took part in the landing at Gallipoli, also in the departure of the troops from there. Alfred and William went with the first contingent and John with the second. The three brothers are now in France.”
He was Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette of 13th July 1916 on page 6955, position 25, under the heading Infantry and 6th Battalion (Victoria) as Croft, 556 Pte. A. The despatch was published on 10th April 1916 from General Sir Charles Munro who was in command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at that time, and they were mentioned for distinguished and gallant service.
On 4th September 1916, he was admitted to Australian Auxiliary Hospital No. 1 at Harefield Middlesex with Cardiac Dilation. He was sent to No. 2 Commonwealth Depot at Weymouth on the 6th and taken on strength that day. Alfred was marched in to Infantry Draft Depot No. 4 Camp at Perham Downs from Weymouth on 20th October 1916.
His father was sent a letter from Base Records on 4th December 1916 advising him of the Mention in Despatches he had received. “With reference to the despatch published on the 10th April, the following are mentioned for distinguished and gallant services rendered during the period of General Sir Charles Munro’s Command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force :- No. 556 Private ALFRED CROFT.”
On 19th January 1917, he was detached from 6th Battalion for temporary duty with Australian Army Ordnance Corps, Tidworth Section at Bhurtpore Barracks. He was detached from attached duty and marched out to No. 1 Command Depot at Weymouth on 10th August 1917. From Perham Downs, via Southampton, he proceeded overseas to France on 17th September 1917 and re-joined the 6th Battalion on the 28th. On 23rd October 1917 he was sent to hospital as he was sick with pyrexia of unknown origin, and was transferred to 1st A.D.R. Station with influenza. He returned to the 6th Battalion on 6th November. He was again sick on 21st November, sent to 3rd Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne from the field and then embarked on HS Princess Elizabeth for England, with influenza, to County Middlesex War Hospital at Mapsbury with a slight PUO (pyrexia of unknown origin as they described it) on 28th November.
Alfred was then transferred to 1st Auxiliary and then discharged to furlo from 28th December 1917 to 11th January 1918, when he had to report back to No. 2 Depot at Weymouth.
He left England for return to Australia on 31st January 1918 on the Argyllshire, but in Capetown transhipped to A8 Osterley. He had influenza with a displaced apex beat. On 13th April 1918, he disembarked at Melbourne. An application for war service leave gratuity was passed on 11th February 1918 with account number 2228.
On Wednesday 17th April 1918, Alfred attended the Northcote and Preston Scottish Society’s concert, where three returned soldiers, who were also sons of members or members, attended. The newspaper mentioning the concert wrote “There was also present Private Alfred Croft, one of the first Australians to win the D.C.M. on Gallipoli. When the presence of these gallant boys was announced by the chief the whole audience rose and gave them three hearty cheers.”
He was discharged on 16th May 1918 in the 3rd Military District (Melbourne), as medically unfit with the disability of influenza and D.A.H.
Alfred married Gladys Lilian Steer in 1919 in Victoria. She had been born in Maryborough Victoria in 1900. Her parents were Thomas Bernard Steer (born 1874 in Victoria and died 1924 in Victoria) and Lily Elizabeth Whiteley (born 1880 in Maryborough, Victoria and died 25th September 1901 in Carlton). Thomas was a blacksmith, and he re-married after the death of his first wife.
They had two children, Beryl Annie Croft and Thomas Alfred Croft, who was born on 21st June 1920 in Thornbury Victoria. In the 1943, 1949 and 1954 electoral rolls, Thomas was living at 38 Prospect Street and was a tiler. During WW2, Thomas served as Private V46364 and then VX72700, enlisted on 10th August 1940 and was discharged from the Army Service Corps 3rd Division, then enlisted on 20th January 1942 at Caulfield and was discharged on 16th October 1943 as a Private in the 39th Battalion. His service files have not yet been examined.
Alfred signed for his 1914-15 Star on 24th April 1920 in Melbourne. On 6th September 1920, he signed for his two oak leaves (Mentioned in Despatches emblems) and added a note to the receipt that owing to a change of address, he had just received them. The address was noted as 13 Woodhead Street, North Fitzroy. On 4th May 1921, he received his British War Medal and signed for it. He signed for the certificate for his Mention in Despatches on 12th August 1921 and noted the address was 22 Fergie Street, North Fitzroy. At Victoria Barracks on 11th May 1922, he signed for his Victory Medal.
By the 1924 electoral roll they were living at 8 Bishop Street Box Hill and Alfred was a tiler and slater. They had moved to 3 Henry Street by the 1925 roll (in Box Hill) and he was still a slater and tiler. By the 1936 and 1937 rolls they had moved to 35 Prospect Street and he was listed as a pensioner. In the 1943, 1949 and 1954 rolls they were living at 38 Prospect Street and he was still listed as a pensioner. The 1963 and 1968 rolls show them living at 28 Clyde Street (still in Box Hill) and nil was put for his occupation.
He obviously applied to the Repatriation Commission for a pension in 1937, as they requested documents of his service from Base Records in August 1937. It must have been approved as the electoral rolls above show.
On 16th May 1969, Alfred passed away at Surrey Hill, Victoria. A funeral service was held at Le Pine’s Chapel at Box Hill and he was cremated at Springvale Crematorium. His ashes were scattered. A death notice was placed in the Melbourne Sun Pictorial of 17th May 1969 which said he was “husband of Gladys, loved father of Thomas & Beryl, father in law of Verna & grandfather of Douglas.
Gladys passed away in 1983 in Wangaratta, Victoria.
James Henry Croft (Alfred’s father) passed away on 15th May 1943 at Ringwood Victoria, and oddly his death certificate says he was a retired farmer (all other records have him as a labourer). It also says his father, James, was a bricklayer. No doubt this was useful in the new colony, and maybe why they migrated. Annie Croft (Alfred’s mother) passed away on 24th December 1945 in South Kensington, Victoria and is buried at Box Hill Cemetery with her husband in Plot CE 215 40.
Alfred had two brothers who also served in WW1.
William (born in August 1883 in Rochester), was the eldest and joined 1st Battery Field Artillery 1st Brigade as Farrier Sergeant 41 on 23rd August 1914 in Brisbane. He was a labourer and was already serving in the Royal Artillery Field Artillery. William had married Maud May Spilling on 26th November 1913 in Queensland and was living in Dalby at that time. He embarked from Sydney on the HMAT Argyllshire on 18th October 1914, and joined the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on 4th April 1915. Then he embarked for France from Alexandria on 21st March 1916. While in France he was killed in action on 6th December 1916. He was buried in G 49 in Bernafay Wood British Cemetery at Montauban. His wife moved to Brisbane, where she received his trio of medals and Memorial Plaque.
Another brother, John (born September 1889 in Rochester, Victoria – his closest elder brother) joined as Private 695 in the 14th Battalion on 1st October 1914 at Swan Hill, Victoria. He was a fireman with no previous military experience. After landing at ANZAC Cove on 25th April 1915, he was involved with establishing and defending the front line. He was wounded with a gunshot wound to the right forearm and hand on 8th August 1915. He returned to Gallipoli in September. On 1st December 1915 he was to be a Lance Sergeant. In March 1916 in Egypt, he was sent to hospital with VD and discharged in April. He proceeded to France in September 1916 and was transferred to the 46th Battalion in October. On 3rd March 1917, he was promoted to Sergeant, after getting over a dose of appendicitis in February, for which he was sent to London. He was promoted to Company Sergeant-Major on 29th July 1917. In mid-1918, he was sent to England as an Officer Cadet, to qualify for commission in the infantry. He returned to Australia on the Leicestershire on 9th December 1918 from England and was discharged in 1919. Afterwards, he worked in the railway in Bendigo, Victoria. He then moved to Echuca, where he passed away in 1955.
Alfred’s medals are Distinguished Conduct Medal, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal with oak leaf.
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